1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a plate heat exchanger with a condensed fluid separating function and its manufacturing method, and more particularly to an integrated plate heat exchanger with a condensed fluid separating function in which a separator connected to outside of the plate heat exchanger by means of a pipe is integrally mounted in the plate heat exchanger so that a conventional heat transfer loss caused by fluid channel for connecting the separator to a reheater and a chiller is prevented, a discharging efficiency of a condensed fluid is maximized, and a cooling air drier may become smaller and lighter, and its manufacturing method.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A plate heat exchanger is used for changing a hot compressed air into a cold compressed air, and generally used as a component of an air drier. Such an air drier changes a hot and humid saturated air into a cold and dry compressed air, which may be used in various industrial equipments. The air drier is generally composed of a plate heat exchanger and a separator.
In the plate heat exchanger, a plurality of plates that are shaped irregularly in consideration of kind of the fluid, channel of the fluid and strength of the plate are laminated so that a hot and humid compressed air that is called a hot side and a working fluid that is called a cold side are alternately flowed between the plates for the purpose of heat exchange. That is to say, the interlayer channel between the plates is isolated from the atmosphere and adjacent channels, and two different kinds of working fluids are isolated by the plate so as to ensure counter flow, so hot and cold working fluids are placed in turns to cause heat exchange.
The plate heat exchanger is partitioned into a reheater part and a chiller part by means of a membrane, and a separator connected to the chiller and the reheater is installed out of the plate heat exchanger. Here, the separator separates the fluid condensed in the chiller by means of heat exchange from the cold and dry compressed air, and then supplies only the cold and dry compressed air to the reheater.
Thus, the hot and humid saturated air compressed by a compressor is introduced into an introduction hole of the plate heat exchanger so as to be cooled in the reheater by means of primary heat exchange with the cold and dry compressed air, then supplied to the chiller for secondary heat exchange with a working fluid, and then introduced into the separator so as to be separated into fluid and a cold and dry compressed air. The cold and dry compressed air is then supplied to the reheater again for third heat exchange with the hot and humid compressed air, and then discharged.
The conventional plate heat exchanger is structurally not capable of separating the condensed fluid by itself, so a separator is additionally installed outside of it and the separator is connected to the chiller and the reheater by means of external pipes. Thus, the conventional air drier needs an additional area for installation of the separator, so it is hardly possible to reduce its size and weight.
In addition, the fluid channel for connecting the reheater and the chiller to the separator causes a heat transfer loss.